Increasing Provider Knowledge of Mental Health Apps

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to educate psychiatric providers on mental health apps and improve competency in app evaluation. Background: Mental health apps offer the potential to increase access to care and improve health outcomes. Apps are especially promising for rural residents who face barriers to care and are more likely to die by suicide than their urban counterparts. While there are thousands of mental health apps available, the quality of apps varies dramatically. Some apps may contain harmful information, and others compromise patient privacy. Psychiatric providers need to know how to evaluate apps. Methods: A 20-minute training session was conducted targeting psychiatric providers in Northern Arizona. Attendees were provided education on mental health apps, in particular suicide prevention apps. A patient-centered teaching tool, developed by the primary investigator, was used to teach critical elements of app evaluation. After the training, attendees completed a survey to measure the success of the training. Results: Thirty-eight people attended the training. Of those, 13 consented to participate, including nine nurse practitioners, two physicians, and two non-clinical employees. Most participants work predominantly in outpatient behavioral health settings with patients who reside in rural areas. Participants reported that their knowledge of mental health apps increased after the training (p = 0.00338), and their comfort in app evaluation improved (p = 0.00512). An overarching theme emerged from participants’ responses to questions regarding the risks and benefits of mental health app use, which was safety. Participants stated that they plan to apply the knowledge gained during the training to their clinical practice. Conclusions: In an increasingly digital world, clinicians must know how to discern quality apps. This quality improvement project achieved all of the primary objectives. It also demonstrated that a patient-centered framework and teaching tool can successfully increase provider comfort in app evaluation. Future studies are needed to determine whether these initial positive findings are generalizable.